Healing
by Dragon's Ghost
Summary: Sequal to The Curse of Darshra. After Count Leo was vanquished, phsically D was fine. But psychologically, D is still recovering. How will he progress in his road to recovery with the help of his sister and the people of Darshra?
1. Apology and Forgiveness

Healing

SUMMARY

Sequel to The Curse of Darshra.

D went through a lot when Count Leo possessed his body and locked away his mind. Now he heals under the caring eye of his twin sister, Alexandra. How does D's road of recovery go and will the people of Darshra accept him?

Chapter One

Apology and Forgiveness

D's hands shook as he closed the clasp on his cloak.

Today he was going to apologise publicly for the massacre of hundreds of people. Edward Brown, the Mayor had told him that he didn't need to apologise because it wasn't his fault, but D felt that it was only right that he apologised of the merciless killing of the relatives and loved ones of thousands.

No matter what anyone said, there was still a tiny voice in D's head which told him that it was his fault that so many people had suffered and he couldn't shake the feeling of needing to repent for what had happened. He'd talked to Lexa about it a lot and she had let him agree to apologising.

Now he was scared.

He was scared of everyone's reaction.

From what he'd heard, several people were coming to watch and this made D very nervous. After all, there were a lot more city folk then there were of him. Sure, he was a good fighter, but he didn't think that he'd be able to bring himself to defend himself from the people after everything that Count Leo had done to them, through him.

"You're as jumpy as a jack rabbit, D." said Lexa, walking up behind D and reaching around him to grasp the cloak clasp from his hands and close it without a second thought. "Anyone would think that you were a kid headed off to the dentist the way you're acting."

"I feel as jumpy as a jack rabbit…" replied D, turning around to look at his sister, only to grasp Lexa's wrists when she reached up to his cloak clasp again. "…and you fiddling with my cloak clasp is not helping in the slightest."

"You must be nervous if you're admitting it out loud." said Lexa, ignoring what D had said about his cloak clasp and adjusting it again. "Everything will be fine. I have lived in Darshra for a very long time and not one person has ever tried to dismember, skewer or harm me in any way shape or form. Nothing's going to happen. Stop worrying if you don't want to screw up royalty, okay. In my experience, it's always best to speak from the heart." she looked at her watch. "It's time. Make me proud, bro."

"I'll try." replied D. Lexa grinned and swiped her hat from the coat stand at the door, placing it neatly on her head before she slid D's from the stand and placed it on her brother's head. She smiled at her brother and gave him a hug before opening the door and stepping out into the gleaming sunlight, D right behind her. Lexa smiled to the people as they passed them. Then she saw a very familiar face amongst the crowd.

"Hanna!" she yelled, waving to a girl with golden blonde hair and glimmering chocolate brown eyes.

"Lexa!" Hanna yelled back. She walked through the crowd, a nine year old boy with brown eyes and brown hair following her.

"How are you, girl?" asked Lexa.

"Not, bad, not bad." replied Hanna, the twenty year old smiling for all she was worth.

"And who's this?" asked Lexa.

"My nephew." replied Hanna. "Say hello, Kevin."

"Hello." replied the boy. He sounded a bit nervous.

"Hello." said Lexa, kneeling down to his height. "You're a handsome little boy, aren't you?"

"I'm not little." grumbled Kevin.

"Of coarse not." replied Lexa, smiling. "I imagine that you're a strong lad and you're going to make some lucky woman very happy when you're older."

"Thank you." he replied, blushing.

"He came down to visit me now that everything's… you know." Hanna looked a little reluctant to say anything that might be a touchy subject with the twins. "Well, congratulations on pulling through, anyway. Good luck with your speech, D. I'm behind you all the way."

"Thank you." replied D, working hard to keep his face expressionless.

"You don't have to be stoic here, D." said Lexa. "You're free now. You can express how you feel as much as you want."

"Lexa's right." Hanna chipped in. "It'll do you good to smile more."

"Oh, goodness!" yelped Lexa. "It's about time that me and D got into place. Catch you later."

"Sure thing." replied Hanna. "We're with you all the way."

Lexa and D began to make their way through the crowd and they soon came up to the town square where a podium had been placed on a raised, wooden platform. D and Lexa walked over to the podium, where Edward Brown was waiting for them with a smile on his face.

"Hello you two!" the mayor called over the bustle of the town square. "I cannot say how wonderful it is to see you both! D you really don't have to do this, you know."

"I would never forgive myself if I didn't at least apologise for all of the damage I've caused." replied D.

"Of coarse." replied Edward. "There are plenty of people who have come to hear you out. I think several of them understand that you wish to repent for what happened, even if it was out of your control."

"It wasn't." replied D, clenching a fist. "If I'd had more control then this wouldn't have happened."

"If you say so." Edward replied. He gestured D over to the side of the platform with Lexa and stood at the podium himself. He faced the crowd, who now had their attentions focused on him.

"Good morning, citizens of Darshra!" he called out to them, the microphone heightening his voice volume quite a bit. "We hopefully all know what's going on. But for those who need a recap, I'll fill you in. Over the past few months, the town was plagued by a dunpeal who everyone thought had lost his mind. We found out that it was not the dunpeal, but another being inside of the dunpeal's body that had been causing the havoc. However, the dunpeal, who calls himself D, sees fit to publicly apologise to you. However, before D speaks, let us hear his sister's view on the matter. Alexandra, take over from here." Alexandra stepped forwards and faced the crowd.

"People of Darshra." she began confidently. "Good morning, first of all. I can't say how happy I am that everything turned out fine in the end. I know that many of you have lost friends and family to the entity that is Count Leo. I understand if several of you feel bitter towards my brother. However, just stop and think. I am not so different to my brother, and yet you still allow me the privilege of living in this great city and enjoying your gracious company every day. I cannot tell you just how happy I was when I first came here. None of you would've been around then. But Darshra was a lot smaller at the time and vampires and dunpeals were feared and hated then even more then they are today. But when I came here, that changed. Your ancestors accepted me with open arms and let me become one of the community. I cannot express in words how much that meant, and still does mean to me. Now can you accept another dunpeal that is very much like myself? It's your choice, which will you make?"

Lexa then stepped away from the podium, leaving the crowd in a stunned silence.

"Thank you Alexandra." said Edward. "And now, let us allow D to say his piece." D stepped forwards. He took a deep breath and faced the crowd of curious faces. He could hear whispers skittering through the crowds and could hear some of the things they said.

"Looks a lot like Lexa."

"I can understand his need to apologise for everything."

"It can't have been easy."

"Must feel so ashamed for a moment of weakness, the poor man."

"He must really believe that he's in the wrong."

"If anyone should be apologising it should be this Count Leo character, I think Lexa was to lenient with him when she killed him. Should've been tortured to death, slowly for all of the pain he's caused that poor man and so many others."

"People of Darshra." D began, his deep voice cutting through the whispers like a hot bread knife through melted butter. "I am here, simply for one thing. To apologise for all of the pain and suffering you've had to go through the past few months, simply because of a moment of weakness on my part. I do not ask for your forgiveness. It is not something I deserve. I am sorry for parting you from your friends and family in such a brutal way. I am sorry for the heartache that I know several of you will be going through now and in the future. I understand if you do not want me to reside in Darshra anymore. If you wish me to, I will leave and I shall never come back, even after all of you are dead and gone. You may inflict any punishment you deem worthy for what has happened, but I don't think that even that can compensate for the damage I've caused. That is all I have to say. Thank you for listening." D looked out over the crowd and saw movement at the front of the crowd and D looked there.

A seven year old girl with dirty blonde hair in pigtails had stepped away from an elderly woman and was walking to the from steps of the platform. D had already moved aside before she'd moved, so she was still in plain view of all of the crowd as she stood before the dunpeal, her little blue dress and blonde pigtails fluttered in the breeze as she looked up at him as everyone else looked on in silence.

"My parents were killed." she told him in a strong voice, her voice was sweet and full of pride. "They were killed by Count Leo."

"I'm sorry." said D, looking the girl in the eyes.

"But, I don't blame you." she reached forwards and took the pale hand of the dunpeal in her much smaller ones. "You were as much of a victim in this as I was. You are a good person. I can see it in your eyes." the little girl turned to face the crowd, her blue eyes flashing with stubborn confidence as she continued to hold D's long fingered hand within her own. "I think that D deserves a right to be forgiven! He was as much of a victim as we were! Anyone who holds a grudge against him over something he cannot help is a fool! When I found my parents lying dead in their room without their heads I wondered why a vampire hunter would do such a thing! But I understand now! It wasn't his fault and there was nothing he could've done to prevent it! The only person who deserves retribution is Count Leo! But he is dead and gone! Let us rebuild this city and allow D the freedom which he deserves! Darshra has always been a safe haven for dunpeals! That will not change and I think that we should welcome D into the fold!"

"I'll second that!" came a shout from a man in the crowd.

"Me too!" came the voice of a woman. And soon the entire crowd was agreeing with the one small girl who'd spoken out first.

The little girl smiled and turned back to D.

"We want you to stay." she said simply, still holding his hand.

D was touched. His face softened as he knelt down to the girls height.

"Thank you." he said, softly, so that only she could hear. She smiled even wider and launched herself at him. She linked her arms around his neck and D instinctively clasped his arms around her back to stop her from falling should her grip waver. When the girl pulled away she grabbed his hand again and pulled him into the crowd where people came forwards to assure him that they were fine with him and several children would voice their own thoughts with shameless innocence.

D soon leaned that the girls name was Annabelle. She lead him over to her grandmother, who regarded the dunpeal closely.

She was very old, the people silenced as she looked closely at D. he got the feeling that she was a greatly respected person in the city and was silently respectful as he returned her gaze.

"You are a good man, D." she said at length. "Though I was saddened by my son's death and that of his wife, I do not hold any of it against you. I know that if you had been in control of your actions then you would never have allowed what happened to happen. My granddaughter clearly thinks the same. My granddaughter hasn't smiled since her parents deaths. Thank you for putting a smile back on her face again. You've made a very old lady, very, very happy."

"If it had not been for me then your granddaughter would not have lost her smile." replied D.

"If it hadn't been for Count Leo, D." replied the woman. "He is the one who killed my son and his wife. You are the one who returned both the smile and the light to my granddaughter's eyes. That is something which I could never repay you for. I know that I'm a bit of an old fool, but I know that there is not a way in all of hell that you'd willingly harm a human." D did not have an answer to that, so he simply remained silent.

"I know that you are still hurting after what happened." said the woman. "And I will tell you now, that if there is any way that I can help, I will assist you."

"Thank you." replied D. "Your forgiveness, I feel, is not something I should be given, but I shall not dishonour you by not accepting it."

"That is all that I can ask, D." replied the woman. "My name is Elizabeth, by the way. Anna, didn't you have something to give the gentleman?"

"Oh yes!" she cried, skipping over to her grandmother and waiting patiently as Elizabeth reached into her handbag and pulled out a small item, which Elizabeth kept from D's view as she passed it to the smiling girl.

Anna turned to D and walked up to him, her hands clasped around something in her hands.

"Hold out your hands and close your eyes, D." said Anna. D was confused by this statement and cocked his head to the side and frowned.

"Why?" he asked. There was no mocking tone in his voice, just pure curiosity. Anna turned to her grandmother for an explanation. Lexa smiled from her place in the watching crowd, like so many others, she understood D's confusion.

"He doesn't know what you're trying to do, Anna. I suspect it's been a while since someone's given him a gift the way you are going to." explained Elizabeth.

"Oh!" the girl chimed in realisation. "It's meant to be a surprise!" she told D. "When people give you a present without wrapping paper you are meant to cover your eyes whilst the person who is giving it to you either leads you to it, or places it in your hands if it is small enough for that. Hold out your hands like this…" she quickly placed D's hands with the palms flat, facing upwards and with them placed together so that they were symmetrical. "And then close your eyes." D did so without a word. He felt something hard and cool being placed into his hands.

"Open your eyes." said Anna.

D did so and he was met with the sight of a glass figurine half the height of a new pencil. D let out a barely audible gasp as he looked at the way the little glass hippogriff caught the sunlight. On the front of the rock the hippogriff was stood on. It said Love and Unity prevails through all.

D looked at the girl, a warmth in his eyes that people didn't even know he possessed.

"Thank you." he said. Anna smiled widely and hugged him.

"I knew that you'd like it!" she cried. D encircled her back with his free arm.

"I like it very much, Anna." replied D. "Thank you for such a wonderful gift."

When D returned to his full height, Anna stepped back from D, smiling up at him.

"I have to go home now." she said. "I've got chores to do and then I'm gonna help grandma bake a cake. See you another day, D!" she rushed off to her grandmother.

"Goodbye D." said Elizabeth. "I hope to see more of you."

"Thank you." replied D. "Goodbye."

"Bye, bye!" yelled Anna, waving until she was swallowed by the crowd. D felt the smallest of smiled curving his lips.

"D." Lexa's voice sounded from behind him. D turned around and there was Lexa. "We have to be getting back home too."

"Of coarse." replied D, smiling slightly. Lexa's smiled widened.

"I never thought I'd see you smile again." said Lexa.

"They do say that I'm full of surprises." replied D. He followed Lexa through the crowd, his lips still upturned slightly as he walked.

That night, D went to sleep, feeling like he'd just had the world lifted from his shoulders, and boy did it make a big difference.

* * *

I do not own Vampire Hunter D. I make no profit from this piece


	2. It Wasn't Just A Dream

Healing

Chapter Two

'It wasn't Just a Dream'

_Darkness…_

_Darkness…_

_Darkness…_

_All around…_

_Everywhere…_

_All he could see…_

_Was darkness…_

_He curled in on himself, pulling his black cape around himself protectively, silver eyes scrunched shut as he shook with unsuppressed fear._

_And then there was a voice. One that did not come from the darkly clad figure, curled up against the wall of his pitch black prison._

"_Good evening." said the harsh, bloodthirsty and bodiless Voice. "You were watching what happened today. I know you were, boy. You watched me kill that factory worker and his wife, and his delicious teenage daughter and son. You saw the way their pathetic, headless bodies dripped with what was left of their blood after I was finished with them. Did you enjoy watching them die? Did you like the way their lifeless bodies hit the floor after I had drained them dry? Did you like the way that the girl screamed? The way the woman wailed, dunpeal? I bet you did. Well you're in luck, because it shall happen again tomorrow."_

"_STOP IT!" The darkly clad prisoner had his hands clasped over his ears, shaking his head from side to side as the voice rang through his mind and his normally deep voice slightly high from emotional turmoil. "JUST STOP IT!"_

"_Why?" asked The Voice, again. "Admit it, you enjoy it."_

"_NO!" Yelled the man. "JUST STOP IT! STOP FORCING ME TO SEE THESE HORRIBLE THINGS!"_

"_Oh, have I gotten to you, dunpeal?" asked The Voice. "If only your sister could see the pathetic mess you've become. She hates you, you know. Ashamed of you. However, once she realises what is natural, she will make a perfect bride."_

"_LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!" the prisoner's voice was suddenly laced with anger as well as fear. "SHE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!"_

"_She is the one who has taken it upon herself to avoid me at every turn, boy." replied The Voice. "And I must say that I'm quite taken with her. Just like you, she's a very beautiful creature. A very fine bride she'd make. Very fine indeed."_

"_SHE WOULD NEVER BE YOUR BRIDE!" yelled the black clad man. "SHE IS STRONG!"_

"_So were you, dunpeal." replied The Voice. "But I broke you over time, didn't I? I'm sure that breaking her will only be a matter of time."_

"_NO!" instead of fear, the prisoners voice was filled with defiance and certainty as he stood up, his paleface drawn back in anger. "MY SISTER HAS PEOPLE TO CONFIDE IN! YOU CANNOT BREAK HER!"_

"_Everyone can be broken, boy." replied The Voice. "It is only a matter of time. I broke you, didn't I? The girl's breaking will be all the more sweeter, for the fruits of my labour will be all of the more rewarding with her."_

_Images filled the prisoner's head and he fell to his knees, shaking his head as image after image was forced through his mind until he finally screamed._

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

D sat bolt upright in his bed, eyes wide with terror as his throat felt like it would tear with the scream that poured from his mouth with his elongated fangs exposed. The bead clothes were tangled around him and his pyjamas and bedclothes were soaked with sweat as his heart beat so fast in his chest that he thought that it might break free. He shook all over as he took in great gasps of air, panic still flooding his senses.

Light suddenly flooded into the room and he cringed away from it as he vaguely heard a woman's voice through his panic fogged mind.

Suddenly the mattress sunk a little and there were warm, gentle arms around him.

D buried his face in his sister's chest, tears leaking from his eyes. He clung to Lexa like she was his only lifeline as he shook against her lithe frame. A slender hand found its way into D's hair. Lexa's other hand rubbed comforting circles into his back as she whispered comforting words to her fretting brother. She could hear his frantically beating heart in her sensitive ears and almost feel his racing pulse.

She merely held D tighter, letting him seek sanctuary in her presence.

At length she spoke.

"Was it a nightmare?" She felt D nod. "Do you want to talk about it?" D neither nodded, nor shook his head. That was a good enough answer for Lexa. She pulled D to his feet and lead him through to the kitchen where she put some water on the boil. She then lead D over to the kitchen table where he sat with his head in his hands. Alexia jumped up onto his lap and D petted the cat with one hand as she braced her front paws against his chest so that she could lick at his face.

Lexa soon returned to the kitchen table with two mugs of tea and pressed one into D's hands. D robotically drank from his mug.

"What did you see?" asked Lexa, breaking him out of his trance like state. "What did you dream?"

"It wasn't just a dream." replied D. "It was a memory."

"What happened?" asked Lexa.

"It was dark." said D. "It was when I was trapped in my mind. It was like a prison cell, with no windows or doors. Count Leo would visit me through my mind after every hunt. He'd mock me. Ridicule me. Bait me, even. And then he met you. He started taunting me, not just about those he killed, but then he kept taunting me about _you. He kept telling me that he'd make you his bride. That he'd break you and make you his own. Every morning it was the same thing as he disappeared into his lair to escape the sunlight. Always. The fact is, if you live long enough, hearing only the same thing everyday, it gets to the point where you believe it, and if it's something like that, it hurts. I hurts so deep that it would never heal fully. I believed what he said for a time. The thought still haunts me and it probably always will, even if my heart knows that you are stronger then that." D suddenly slammed his hand down on the table in a fit of anger and Alexia darted away with a surprised and slightly affronted yowl. "WHY DID I HAVE TO BE SO WEAK! SO MANY HORRIFIC THINGS HAPPENED BECAUSE I WAS WEAK! I THOUGHT THAT I COULD MANAGE, THIS ONLY PROVES JUST HOW WRONG I WAS!" D suddenly sagged back in his seat, breathing heavily and looking thoroughly deflated now that his anger was spent. His shoulders shook as he leaned forwards with his head in his hands as sobs were dragged out of his throat. "Maybe the world would be a better place if I just wasn't alive."_

"_Don't say that." replied Lexa, standing up and kneeling in front of her brother, looking right into his tear swollen eyes._

"_It's true." D replied bitterly._

"_No it isn't." replied Lexa. "Do you know how many lives you've saved."_

"_I've destroyed many, too." D told her._

"_No." Lexa corrected him. "That wasn't you. That was Count Leo. You did not destroy those lives, no matter which way you look at it." D was about to cut in, but Lexa cut him off before he'd even spoken a word. "No, D. You are a lot stronger then you give yourself credit for. You have been through horrors that would make the bravest of men and vampires alike, weep. You are strong, compassionate and honourable to a fault. You have a lot more to be proud of then you have to be ashamed of. And if there's one thing that's for certain, I certainly wouldn't be better off if you weren't alive. And that would, in turn, affect my friends. You make me happy, D, which then makes so many others happy. And what about when you made that public apology? You heard what Elizabeth said, and she is the wisest human in the city. She said that you made Anna smile that day. Not her. Not me. You. You are a light in so many lives and so many of those lives need your light and not just me. You deserve so much more then what many of us can offer. D, if it weren't for you, I'd be a very different person toady. When we were children you was my rock, now let me be yours."_

_D looked surprised as he looked down at Lexa and she started back defiantly. Her anger had surprised her twin. It was something that she normally saved for the battlefield, not for attempting to give her only sibling some self value. Her brow was furrowed and her eyes were flashing as her lips were pressed into a thin line, all in all, she looked like an irritated school teacher._

_D's eyes softened as he slid from his feet and onto his knees so that he level with Lexa, before embracing her tightly._

"_Thank you, Lexa." he said. "Thank you for being there. I guess there are times when I forget that people still need me. I love you, Lexa. You are a wonderful sister."_

"_I try." joked Lexa, with a lopsided grin. She pulled D up from the cold, wooden floor and flicked her hand in the direction of the cooling mugs of tea on the table and the tea vanished and the mugs appeared on the draining board, perfectly clean._

_Lexa then lead D over to his room and pushed him over to his bed. She then tucked him into bed and stayed with him until she was certain that he was asleep, before leaving the room and closing the door soundlessly behind herself. Lexa sighed. She knew that this was the first of several nightmares that were sure to come over the next few weeks. She knew that it would take a long time for D to heal, but how long remained to be seen._


	3. Serpents Siblings and Sketchbooks?

Healing

Chapter Three

Serpents, Siblings and… Sketchbooks?

Creak…

The door to Lexa's 'den' opened and in stepped the darkly clad figure of Lexa's brother.

The curtains were thrown wide open to allow the morning light to pour into the room and flood its occupants senses. The smell of drying paint, new paper and cinnamon lingered in the air and D could hear the soft scratch, scratch of pencil against parchment as Lexa was bent over the parchment on the scrubbed, wooden table.

"Hello, D" Lexa absentmindedly threw over her shoulder, her gaze fixed on the piece of paper that had been unlucky enough to be placed under her disposal, one has to feel sorry for the many trees that she must've got through via her constant usage of paper.

"How did you know I was there?" asked D, though he sounded like he wasn't really that interested.

"The door creaks when people enter." Lexa said with a grin as she turned around in her seat to look at her twin after sitting up. "I deliberately installed a door with a creak because I would then know if someone entered. And what's with the face, or lack thereof."

"Why should I have 'a face' as you call it?" asked D, his voice bordering on monotone as he spoke.

"This is not the life of a hunter, D." said Lexa. "You have every right to show what you are thinking and feeling at any given time. You do not have to keep everything locked away all of the time. Live a little. You'll be a lot happier for it if you do."

"What were you doing?" asked D.

"Changing the subject, eh?" Lexa remarked slyly. "Oh, well, I'll let it slide just this once seeing as you are in one of those moods, tell me, is it that time of the month?"

"What?" asked D, confusion actually becoming recognisable upon his features.

"It's a joke D." replied Lexa. "But anyway, I was sketching."

"You sketch?"

"Would I be sketching if I didn't?" asked Lexa. D didn't answer. Lexa grinned. "Wanna try?"

"I… I haven't sketched since I was a child, Lexa. I… don't think that I'll be all that brilliant." D said.

Lexa raised her eyebrows and reached behind herself to swipe something from the desk. D found out exactly what it was a few seconds later.

A pencil.

She held it out to him and D was reluctant to take it from her. Lexa's right eyebrow rose slightly. D looked back at her uneasily and Lexa rolled her eyes. She then picked up D's hand in the hand that wasn't holding her pencil and then slapped the pencil into his hand before she wrapped his fingers around the pencil and kept a firm grip on his hand as she pulled him over to the desk and coaxed him into the chair and then slid another over and slipped into that seat herself. She pulled out a draw and quickly swiped two pieces of paper and set one down in front of D before setting one in front of herself.

"Just doodle away to your hearts content." said Lexa, flourishing her own pencil. "I don't even have to see it. There is nothing to worry about."

"I'm not worrying!" D burst out unexpectedly.

"No need to get defensive!" said Lexa, smiling. "It's just that the way you're acting! The pencil will not bite you!"

D raised his eyebrows. He lowered the pencil to the paper and it glided over the paper effortlessly. Lexa smiled and returned to her own paper, thought for a few seconds and then proceeded to allow her pencil to resume its previous dance across the surface of her fresh sheet of paper.

About three hours later and Lexa and D simultaneously leaned back from their work. Lexa's piece of paper portrayed a Hippocampus underwater, kelp plants rising around it whilst D's portrayed a black horse pausing under a night time forest scene with the ground dappled with moonlight and the horse standing in a bright patch of light. For black and white pictures, they were very good."Nice." commented Lexa. "Don't know why you stopped sketching, D. You are very good."

"Thank you." replied D. He looked around Lexa's 'Den'. It wasn't really a den. It was more of an overlarge cubby hole. It was actually Lexa's garden shed, which was the sort of thing that people generally use for sitting areas. The wooden walls that weren't occupied by shelves had various art and craft materials leaning against them were framed pieces and in front of the desk was an old board with paintings, sketches, drawings and photographs all over it. D's eyes trailed over the board. He found that there were no photographs of him (which was no surprise, he'd never had his picture taken), but there were plenty of sketches of him in various stages of his life, along with others that Lexa had obviously met over the long years of her life and plenty of things that were clearly made up. Animals were also adorning the board. Magnificent dragons surveying silent villages, the buildings lights twinkling in the gloom, kelpies rising up out of murky water to trick some unwary traveller and, yes, even kittens chasing balls of string around the kitchen table. He stood up to look more closely at a watercolour picture of two identical seven year olds. It was more of a two piece collage.

One child was standing on a little wooden stool wearing a little black dress with long sleeves and a high neckline. She had her hair up in a slightly ruffled ponytail as she raised her hand to wave at the person painting her. Another was of the identical boy, clutching a tattered old teddy in his little hands and smiling at something that an observer of the painting could not see. He was sat on a small wooden chair, his long hair caught by a strong gust of wind, tossing it this way and that.

D then looked at the barely legible signatures at the bottom of each part of the painting. Beneath the boy it said 'D by Lexa' and underneath the girl it said 'Lexa by D'. D reached his hand out to gently touch the painting, eyes misting over as he remembered painting his sister that moonlit night.

"_Hurry up, D!" said Lexa, impatiently. "My arm is starting to ache."_

"_I'm almost done." replied D. "You know that you didn't have to do that pose, you could've just sat on the stool."_

"_True." replied Lexa._

"_Done!" cried D, suddenly. Lexa immediately hopped down from her stool and ran over. She handed a pencil to D, who then signed his name underneath Lexa's portrait._

"_Now we'll always be together." said Lexa._

"_Yeah." replied D. "Forever in a memory."_

D didn't even notice the tear that had sipped from his misty eyes, nor the fact that Lexa had pinned up his recently created picture with the one she'd drawn and that she was now watching him fondly.

D suddenly came out of his daze and wiped his tear away, before turning to Lexa with a small smile and embracing his sister tightly. She returned the gesture and then pulled away with a smile.

"Do you want to do that again?" asked Lexa. "Paint each others portraits, I mean."

"Only if you'll be quiet whilst I paint." replied D, jokingly.

"Do you doubt my ability to remain silent?' asked Lexa. D gave her a pointed look which told Lexa that D still remembered just how much complaining she'd gotten through when she'd been posing for him.

"Good point. Well made." Lexa said simply.

"I didn't say anything." replied D.

"You were thinking about it, though." replied Lexa mischievously, nudging her brother lightly in the ribs, jokingly. D jumped a little at the nudge and a small smile spread across his lips.

"I'll be glad of the day when you start grinning like a hyena again." said Lexa. "But smiling is a start." D's smile widened a little bit and Lexa started to weave around the 'shed', picking up various painting utensils as she went.

A few minuets later found D sitting on a windowsill, a small smile fixed on his face, silver eyes looking straight at Lexa, who smiled as she painted him. D's feet were drawn up so that they perched on the kitchen radiator and a quill hung from his limp grip as he leaned back lazily, his cloak pooling around him and his hat tilted back so that Lexa got a good look at D's face. Lexa had the feeling that D could fall asleep in that position if he wanted to, though he'd probably have a painful neck when he woke up again. The places D managed to fall asleep in still astounded Lexa to this day.

A couple of hours later they traded situations. D was at the easel and Lexa was sitting on the windowsill, ginning like a Cheshire cat as she leaned her back against the right hand side from her perspective, two books by her left foot and a half eaten apple in her right hand. Her hand rested in her lap and her left knee was drawn up to her chest as her right foot balanced on top of the radiator. Her leather jacked was tied about her waist and pooled around her, though it wasn't nearly as beautiful as the effect D's cloak gave. It was clear that D was a thing of beauty whilst Lexa was a thing of angst (as if Lexa's emerald tank top with chunky, apple white writing saying 'Cute is not my style' wasn't enough of a clue).

After a while, Lexa was allowed to move again and they once again signed their names. This time, though, they'd painted on a proper canvas and Lexa even had a frame to put the picture in. Lexa put the painting in the den to dry. D had a feeling that the wall above the mantelpiece would have a new painting to replace the portrait of an old bay horse that D was sure Lexa had just never got around to replacing, because it was of a messy style and not very interesting.

D walked over to the sink to clean off the paintbrushes. He got quite a shock when he looked into the basin of the sink and found about five or six live snakes in there. He jumped back with a yelp, wooden paintbrushes and pot clattering to the floor.

Lexa was in the room in an instant. She strode over to the sink, looked in it and then threw her head back.

"Alex!" she yelled at the highest volume her very healthy lungs could manage.

"Yes?" Alex poked his head out of one of the cabinets.

"What have I told you about having friends round?" asked Lexa.

"Whoops." said Alex.

"Busted!" cried the other snakes as one. By the sound of it they were all male.

"I shall have words with you Alex, the rest of you clear off!" Lexa said simply and the snakes immediately began to depart from the house at a rate of knots.

"Sorry about that D." said Lexa. "You alright?"

"They just surprised me." replied D. "I did not think that you were one to have five or six snakes in your kitchen sink."

"There are times when I don't have a choice." replied Lexa, exasperatedly. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye. " Nice try Alex, get back here now."

"I'll leave you to it." replied D, picking up the fallen brushes and water pot, deciding that cleaning them in the bathroom sink would be the best course of action for now. At least until Lexa had managed to get Alex to behave.

"You have got some serious explaining to do, young man!" D heard Lexa begin. Somehow, something told him that Alex would not get a reprieve anytime soon.

* * *

I do not own Vampire Hunter D. I make no profit from this piece


	4. Games

Healing

Chapter Four

Laura, Alexia and Alex

Laura watched as the two twins painted each other and watched as D discovered the snakes in the sink. She shook her head in amusement. Alex just didn't learn. It was a well known fact that Alex had a tendency to bring in unexpected guests, though sometimes they were not, in fact friends, but often dead mice, which, if not eaten quickly, started to smell horrid after a few hours, especially to her wolf nose. Alexia merely played with a few dust bunnies, by bouncing them with her black paws. She lent one lion-like eye to Alex's scolding for a second, before she turned back to her dust bunny. Laura sighed and turned to Alexia, who's constant batting of the dust bunnies was getting on her last nerve.

"What is it with you and those dust bunnies!" snapped Laura.

"Sorry." replied Alexia, stopping her previous movements. "It's an old habit that I'm trying to get rid of…"

"And giving into it now is not going to make you get rid of it any quicker!" Laura interrupted her. Alexia drew herself up in a proud manner.

"One can only be so bored before they finally go mad, Laura, I am trying to find a way to prevent myself form becoming even crazier then I already am." Alexia retorted sharply.

"Find a way to entertain yourself." Laura told her.

"Shadow, window, widow…" Laura recognised the childhood game and joined in.

"Win."

"Name."

"Excursion."

"Navel."

"Lily."

"Yellow."

"Wood."

"Darning."

"Gnome."

"Element."

"Trifle."

"End."

"Dragon."

"Newt."

"Triple."

"Enter."

"Railing."

"Grass."

"Supple."

"Egg."

"Generator."

"Radiation."

"Nine."

"Eat."

"Temper."

"Road."

"Denmark."

"Kangaroo."

"Octopus."

"Signal."

"Lament."

"Triple."

"That's been said!" Alexia cried jovially.

"Curses!" cried Laura. "I was never very good at that game." Alexia just chuckled and went to examining her claws.

"You always used to beat me at Eye Spy. You're very good at twenty questions as well." Alexia told her canine companion.

"Only because I use really simple stuff!" The canis lupus cried out indignantly. "And I mean simple."

"Yes, a spoon for one thing." grumbled Alexia.

"Well, it's better then a rock, you guessed that as well." Laura replied.

"That was a lucky guess." Alexia intoned.

"Yeah, right." Laura scoffed.

"Hey girls!"

"I see you escaped." Alexia scoffed at the snake.

"By a hair's breadth." replied Alex, huffing slightly.

"It's your own fault." Laura told him dismissively. "You have no one to blame but yourself."

"Oh, nice." Alex said sarcastically. "You're such good friends you two, I don't know where I'd be without you."

"Glad to know that we're appreciated, Alex." Alexia shot back as Laura let out a bark like laugh.

"Well, D's gone to clean the painting stuff off in the bathroom." Laura said.

"Say what?" Alex's head snapped around so fast that it was a miracle that it didn't fall off.

"D's gone to clean the paintbrushes in the bathroom." Laura repeated herself insistently.

"He hasn't…"

"He has." Alexia confirmed.

"Oh dear." the snake looked mildly worried.

"What have you done?" asked Laura.

"ACK!"

CRASH!

"What is it!"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"ALEX!"

"I'm going to make a swift exit." Alex said quickly, slithering to the door.

"HE'S HEADING TO THE FRONT DOOR LEXA!" Alexia and Laura yelled as one.

"TRAITORS!" was all that could be heard as the loud, rushing bangs of Lexa's hurried footsteps could be heard before the door opened and Alex's tail disappeared around the front door, soon to be followed by Lexa's swift feet.

"GET YOUR SCALEY TAIL BACK HERE NOW ALEX!"

Laura and Alexia sighed as they looked at each other. D walked into the room, looking a little confused, but still fine. He saw the wolf and the cat and smiled in amusement.

"Happy families." they said as one.

* * *

I do not own Vampire Hunter D. I make no profit from this.


End file.
